The Top-Rated VPNs for Mac OS

While most VPN service providers in the market today offer a specific VPN client compatible with the Mac system, only a number of them provide updated and working apps.

After testing out a lot of different VPN apps, here are the best VPN services that offer stable VPN connections for Mac OS users.

Why it can be difficult to find the right VPN for Mac?

Apple has without a doubt revolutionize technology in a big way and it still continues to change the industry time after time. And while the Mac may seem to be more superior in terms of hardware compared to other non-Mac OS machines, there still something that can become troublesome to Mac OS users.

There are literally thousands of software programs that are scattered across the internet these days. Unfortunately, software is the biggest problem with Mac machines. This is because most software are designed to work for the Windows operating system.

Although the most popular software programs are available for the Mac system, there are still hundreds of other apps out there that Mac OS users will not be able to enjoy.

VPN software, for instance, are often compatible with Windows. Gladly, there are a few VPN providers out there that have taken the extra step to keep all types of machines protected from the cyber web – Macs are no exemption.

If you own a Mac, and is looking for a free VPN or paid VPN plan, then you are reading the right article.

Let’s look into the best VPNs for Mac available in the market today.

Virtual Private Network Service Providers

1. NordVPN

Overview

NordVPN offers an excellent VPN service in terms of performance and after sales services. NordVPN specializes in providing advanced internet security and maintaining users’ privacy online.

The VPN service supports the widely used protocols that include OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and L2TP. With a military-grade encryption with AES 256 bit, you can protect everything you need to keep private online.

NordVPN offers decently fast and easy-to-use VPN service that works well with all major operating systems including Mac OSX. The VPN service also works on mobile platforms so as to help users stay secure and private while they surf the web.

This Panama-based VPN service maintains a no logging policy to maximize anonymity for its users. Aside from a stable and reliable VPN network composing of more than 3,000 VPN servers that are strategically scattered across the world, NordVPN also offers a kill switch feature and support for torrent downloading.

NordVPN’s Double VPN technology allows for more secure and encrypted VPN connections. With such feature, users would be able to enjoy higher level of online privacy and security.

Mac VPN users can subscribe to NordVPN’s service for $12 per month, $69 per year, or $79 for two years worth of VPN accesses. If you need to hide your entire online experience, you can also pay for a NordVPN plan using Bitcoin.

Upon subscribing to a VPN plan, users can already download the Mac VPN app for free.

ExpressVPN uses OpenVPN on its Mac VPN client app. With OpenVPN, Mac users should be guaranteed of the most secured VPN connections by ExpressVPN.

The VPN service offers a 148-location VPN network to its global users. ExpressVPN also offers the most advanced VPN features including kill switch and split tunneling.

Now to the pricing details. ExpressVPN offer quite expensive personal VPN plans.One month of ExpressVPN’s VPN services costs about $13.00. It does come with a no-fuss 30-day moneyback guarantee though. So, if you feel like the VPN service does not live up to your expectations, then you can contact its aftersales support to request for a full refund.

Users may also get a multi-month plan to avail massive discounts. For six month worth of ExpressVPN services, users will pay $60 only. The better deal is ExpressVPN’s annual plan that costs $100 – that is equal to $8.3 per month!

Product summary

Pros

Cons

3. IPVanish VPN

Overview

VPN service IPVanish is also a well-known VPN company that is based out in the United States that takes pride in the VPN services it offers. The VPN service provider is known for providing one of the fastest VPNs in the market today.

IPVanish was established in 2012 and has since been providing top quality VPN accesses to users all over the world. With its years of providing secure VPN connections, IPVanish has gained a loyal number of loyal customers over the years.

IPVanish offers support to major security protocols including OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP. Privacy is everything to IPVanish and thus it does not record nor monitor any of users VPN activities.

This VPN service also has a kill switch feature that will block all network traffic when there is an unexpected connection interruption issue. IP switching is also allowed with the IPVanish service.

IPVanish is compatible with the most commonly used devices including the Mac system. IPVanish supports Mac OSX with version 10.6.8 and higher.

IPVanish’s Mac VPN supports port 443 or 1194 and is powered by an AES 256 encryption system. IPVanish offers a dedicated Mac VPN app. Users may also setup the VPN service on their devices manually.

With a fast and stable VPN network, IPVanish has gained the title as a top-tier VPN network. The VPN company offers server locations in 60+ countries.

Mac VPN users have two other VPN plan options – the 3-month plan and 1 year plan. Both plans come with massive discounts so it would be wise to subscribe to such billing cycles if you plan on using IPVanish for a long period of time.

Product summary

Pros

Zero-log policy

7 days moneyback guarantee

5 simultaneous devices

Supports torrenting

Cons

4. VyprVPN

Overview

VyprVPN is a VPN service that is powered by Golden Frog – a well-known company that specializes in providing private, secure and open internet solutions. VyprVPN was established in order to protect users’ privacy further.

VyprVPN offers support to the common security protocols including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and its very own Chameleon technology that uses unmodified OpenVPN 256-bit protocol.

The VPN company takes security and privacy to another level. It does not in anyway outsource its server offerings. As a matter of fact, VyprVPN is one of the few VPN services out there that own and manage its own VPN servers / VPN network.

The Mac VPN offered by VyprVPN is one of the most stable VPN app available for Mac users today. VyprVPN supports Mac machines with OSX 10.10 or higher operating system. The VPN service makes use of L2TP/IPSec and the Chameleon OpenVPN for its Mac VPN.

VyprVPN offers a fast VPN network consisting of over 700 servers. And like what was stated earlier, VyprVPN does not use any third-party to run its VPN network.There are over 200,000 IP addresses in VyprVPN’s IP catalog.

Those who are looking for a free Mac VPN can take advantage of VyprVPN’s offer. The free trial is good for 3 days – which is ample amount of time to check out the overall service offering of VyprVPN.

If you are satisfied with the VPN service after giving it a try, then you can opt to subscribe to its premium VPN plan.

You can choose between two plans and billing cycles. Mac users can choose to subscribe to VyprVPN on a monthly or annual basis.

VyprVPN offers a monthly plan worth $10 for 3 simultaneous connections, and $13 for 5 connections (exclusive for the Chameleon protocol). Mac VPN users can also avail of discounts if they opt for the annual billing cycle plan.

Product summary

Pros

Cons

5. PureVPN

Overview

PureVPN isn’t called as such for nothing. This VPN company is loaded with top-notch VPN features that can help users regain their internet freedom.

One of the many advantages of PureVPN is its large VPN network. PureVPN has over 750 servers from around the world. And as a VPN company the prioritizes privacy, PureVPN owns and manages all of its servers.

For Mac, users can adjust the level of encryption (from no encryption to the highest encryption) by adjusting the settings under System Preference.

The VPN client app for Mac is free to download for those that are subscribed to the VPN service. PureVPN’s Mac VPN provides an efficient way for Mac OSX users to have completely secure and private browsing experiences.

PureVPN’s VPN plan starts at $11 per month with a 7-days moneyback guarantee. This can serve as a free VPN trial for Mac. So if you are only looking to give PureVPN a try, make sure to cancel your subscription within 7 days after your purchase.

There are tons of features that Mac users can enjoy with their PureVPN subscription. This VPN service is equipped with its own kill switch feature to maximize the security and privacy of its users.

Product summary

Pros

Flexible payment options

Diverse server locations

Reliable live chat support

Cons

6. HideMyAss! VPN

Overview

Everybody knows HideMyAss! VPN. This VPN service has basically defined what a personal VPN is all about.

The VPN company has been around for years already that it has been widely considered as one of the pioneers in providing personal premium VPN service. HideMyAss! is owned by Avast Software and is currently based in the United Kingdom.

HideMyAss! VPN is still among the best VPN service in the market today. The VPN service provides fully loaded VPN features that will allow all its users to experience completely anonymity online.

HideMyAss! offers a wide array of VPN servers that are located in 190 countries worldwide. The VPN service currently has 700+ VPN servers as of this writing.

HideMyAss! supports all essential tunneling protocols like OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP. This UK-based VPN service uses high grade AES 256 bit encryption system to ensure that all VPN traffics are impenetrable from hacking threats.

In terms of device compatibility, HideMyAss! supports multiple platforms such as Windows, Linux, mobile platforms, and Mac operating system. On Mac machines, users can choose to make use of the dedicated VPN client app for Mac, or they can also manually setup their machines.

HideMyAss! VPN’s plan isn’t far off from its competition. A month worth of subscription costs about $12.

Product summary

Pros

Cons

7. Ivacy

Overview

Ivacy is a VPN service that was founded in 2007. This VPN service provider that is based out in Hong Kong offers safe and reliable VPN services that is comparable with the best Mac VPNs in the market.

Ivacy VPN is your all-in-one solution for unblocking the internet altogether. This VPN service offers the best VPN service for all your needs.

Ivacy supports torrenting activities and works well for streaming habits as well. With a zero log policy, users can confidently browse the web knowing that they are never being spied on by their VPN service.

The VPN service uses advanced 256-bit encryption to fully protect its users from hackers, and data snoopers alike. Not even government-related surveillance practices can penetrate the high levels of encryptions that Ivacy implements.

Ivacy is compatible with Mac machines. Supported Mac operating systems are as follows: High Sierra, Sierra, and El Capitan. Older Mac OS systems may need manual setup in order to make Ivacy’s Mac VPN work.

As far as pricings is concerned, Ivacy offers better deals compared to its competitors. Ivacy’s monthly plan costs $9.00 only which is a lot cheaper compared to the standard $12 fee from other brands.

But wait, there’s an even better Mac VPN deal! Ivacy gives users a massive 76% off on its 2 year VPN plan which costs $55 only! There is also an annual plan that is priced at $42.00.Ivacy has over 450 servers that are located in 50+ countries.

Product summary

Pros

Cheaper VPN plans

Supports P2P activities

No logging policy

Cons

8. Private Internet Access

Overview

Private Internet Access (PIA) ranks as a top VPN service in the entire VPN market. The VPN company offers good VPN connections with fast speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and does not in any way log user activities.

PIA makes use of strong encryption to keep all VPN traffics and data secure from snooping activities. PIA is also a great choice for a VPN in unblocking geographically restricted websites or online contents.

PIA is compatible with major protocols including OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec. PIA’s dedicated VPN client is compatible with popular devices like Windows, Ubuntu, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

For Mac-based platforms, users can install the PIA client app if they have an OSX 10.8 or newer. Otherwise, they may have to make use of other client apps like the free VPN software (OpenVPN) for Mac.

PIA has over 3000+ servers that users can connect to in order to keep their connections protected from all kinds of cyber threats. The VPN service offers P2P support as well and allows 5 devices to simultaneously connect to one single account.

Like many VPN services out there, PIA does not offer any free VPN trial accesses. However, PIA’s VPN plans are much cheaper compared to other VPN services.

Product summary

Pros

Cons

9. Tunnelbear

Overview

TunnelBear is a Canadian-based VPN service that offers equally good VPN services like the top names in the industry. This VPN service is serious when it comes to providing security and privacy to users worldwide.

Tunnelbear is a simple VPN solution that offers great speeds and reliable VPN accesses. The VPN company. Users that are looking for good VPN for unblocking the entire web can trust the Bear to shield them from any security threat that looms the internet.

Tunnelbear makes use of OpenVPN and IPSec security protocols with AES 256 bit encryption. It also makes use of a data authentication (SHA1) to prevent “Man in the Middle Attack”.

Tunnelbear supports all leading devices such as iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. To setup Tunnelbear on a Mac system, users can simply download the dedicated VPN app and they should be running the VPN in no time.

What’s great about the VPN client app for Mac is that it is simple enough to operate – even a non-tech person will find it conveniently easy to use Tunnelbear.

Tunnelbear has three VPN plans on offer.

Gladly, Tunnelbear has a free VPN for Mac plan that users can take advantage of. The ‘Little’ bear plan offers free 500MB worth of bandwidth every month.

Now, if you need more than 500MB, you can choose the ‘Giant’ bear plan that costs $10.00 per month. Or you could also pay for the whole year of ‘Grizzly’ bear subscription to avail of the huge discount. The annual plan costs $60.00.

Product summary

Pros

Cons

10. Hotspot Shield VPN

Overview

This VPN service first made it into the VPN scene in 2008. The VPN service is being operated by AnchorFree –a software company known for providing solutions for secure web browsing.

Hotspot Shield supports standard tunneling protocols such as PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN. The VPN service offers the right solutions to achieve anonymous surfing, unblock websites, and to get state-of-the-art technology in protecting user data from various cyber threats.

Hotspot Shield VPN is compatible with multiple devices including the Mac platform.There are two ways to get Hotspot Shield VPN: thru the Elite premium plan or FREE VPN access.

Hotspot Shield offers a 7 days free trial with no actual charges or commitments required. Just make sure you cancel your subscription before the free VPN trial ends so that you will not be charged for a month worth of Elite premium VPN services.

Hotspot Shield offers a monthly VPN plan that costs €16.00 – that’s equivalent to USD20. Mac VPN users can also avail of discounts if they opt to subscribe to the multi-month plans.